A newly graduated doctoral student recounted in the acknowledgment section of his dissertation his journey from digging coal with his father to becoming a doctor in civil engineering, Xinhua News Agency reported. 
The university where the student studied hailed his experience as a transformative journey paved with perseverance.

Recently, a dissertation acknowledgment describing a journey "from digging coal with my dad to graduating as a doctor" recently gained widespread attention, Xinhua reported.

In the acknowledgement, the author wrote: "At age 12, I began mining coal with my father. At 19, I retook the college entrance examination and enrolled in a junior college. Later, I studied hard to earn a bachelor's degree, majoring in geological engineering, and only after two applications did I get the chance to pursue a doctorate."

“After graduating from high school, I didn't let my parents carry much of the financial burden. All my university winter and summer breaks were spent working," the acknowledgment read. His workplaces included electronics factories, chemical plant construction sites, highways, coal mining operation zones, and campus cafeterias.

Netizens praised the acknowledgment as a genuine portrayal of how education can change one’s destiny, with many admiring how he stayed true to his original aspiration despite the hardships.

Following the online discussion, Beijing University of Technology confirmed that the author was indeed a student. He studied full-time at the university from September 2020 to June 2025, majoring in civil and architectural engineering, Xinhua reported.

The university honored his journey on its WeChat account, stating "From the coal pits to doctoral graduation – this journey was paved by unwavering persistence." The university emphasized that his story is "not an unattainable legend, but a life's imprint shared by every striver."